Kurapika

Kurapika
Title:	Rat Chain Master
Origin Series:	Hunter X Hunter Series
Affiliations:	Hunter Association Nostrade Family Traveling Strike Force
Occupation:	Blacklist Hunter Bodyguard Gangster
Home World:	Hunter World
Species:	Human
Age:	19
Birthday:	4th April
Relatives:	Mother† Father†
Status:	Alive

Introduction

Kurapika is the last survivor of the Kurta Clan. He is a Blacklist Hunter and the current leader of the organization founded by Light Nostrade. He is a member of the Zodiacs with the codename "Rat". His goal is to avenge his clan and recover the remaining Scarlet Eyes. He is currently part of the Traveling Strike Force with his friends.

Personality

Kurapika has cynical outlook on life this mostly stems from his past having lost his family and loved ones. For the most part he distanced himself from other people and for the most part tries to avoid or getting attach to new people.

However, this does not mean he is cruel and is fairly polite and calm to most people and does truly care for the few friends he has. Though for the most part he tries to avoid not out cruelty but to keep them safe and to focus on his goal of killing the Phantom Troupe the ones who killed his clan. He will however though reluctantly visit from time to time as such he visited Gon Freecss with convincing from Leorio Paradinight and even smiled upon meeting him.

His desire for revenge is leading him on path of destruction and questionable moral values and has gotten worse after he became a hunter. As such he joined the Nostrade Family, a crime family as a bodyguard, known to be associated with illegal activities. Though he is willing to do this in order achieve his goal.

Although he made himself unavailable for a period, the people dear to him became part of his drives, leading him to search for more power in order not to lose anyone else. Upon nearly completing his goal of retrieving the eyes of his brethren, he began to feel a deep sense of loss, believing to have no one and nowhere to return to.

His desire for revenge though has led him not to see the bigger picture such as the threat of the Cult of the End poses to his world. As he is only one of friends to refuse help in the upcoming war, though he supports them and believes the cause his just he however believes it will distract him from his mission if he joins. However, he changes his mind once he hears the Troupe have allied with the Cult, he decides to follow his friends with Sōjirō and his followers.

History (Hunter X Hunter Series)

Kurapika was born to the Kurta Clan a famous clan of known their isolation and Scarlet Eyes. The Eyes of are consider one of the most gorgeous colors in the world, they are treated as a rare jewel by many.

As a child, he almost fell from a cliff but was saved by his best friend, Pairo. While he was unharmed, his friend Pairo had harmed both his legs and eyes, their condition worsening every day. Kurapika felt responsible for the incident and resolved to leave the forest and search the outside world for a doctor who could cure Pairo. Kurapika thus approached the Kurta Clan's elder several times to request to go to the outside world, but he was constantly refused. This sparked a long-lasting debate between the two, with Kurapika perceiving the Kurta Clan's fear of the outside world as unreasonable and backward. After one such argument, he talked to Pairo and discovered that people outside of the Kurta Clan do not have Scarlet Eyes, which caused their clan to be persecuted for.

Relationships

Friends

Gon Freecss

Gon is one of Kurapika's closet friends ever since they took their Hunter Entrance Exam together. Originally Kurapika preferred to distant himself from people, solely to focus on capturing the Phantom Troupe, but he grew a strong friendship with Gon (along with Leorio & Killua). Over time however, Kurapika grew more intent on his revenge on the Troupe, he decided to distant himself even further, (not out of cruelty, but to keep Gon safe). Gon in return worries about Kurapika and tries his best to stir him from getting too deep with his desire for revenge. And despite his attempt to distant himself, Kurapika still cares enough to check on him when the situation calls for it.

Traveling Strike Force

Sōjirō

While respectful and polite to Sōjirō, Kurapika declined his offer to join his followers to fight the Cult, (despite knowing they are a serious threat to his world) in order to focus his revenge on the Phantom Troupe for killing his clan. Sōjirō, despite knowing how short-sighted he is being, accepted his decision and still offered him to join if he ever changed his mind, to which Kurapika was grateful. When finding out the Troupe were allies of the Cult, Kurapika joined Sōjirō and his followers. While Sōjirō was initially hesitated, due to knowing his focus on revenge could be a massive liability to his group, he couldn't decline knowing he can't let the youth go further astray.

Cult of the End

For their attempt to purge his world and as a member of the TSF, Kurapika is an enemy of the cult. As such, Kurapika considers them evil, and won't hesitate to strike them down when comes in contact with them. Although, despite the serious threat they possess for his world his hatred for the Phantom Troupe is stronger, and originally considered not to engage them out of concern it will put off his goal to take down the Troupe.

Phantom Troupe

Kurapika holds greats hatred for the Phantom Troupe, for slaughtering his entire clan and selling their Scarlet Eyes. His desire for revenge is what drove his choice to become a Hunter, so to have better connections and improve his chances to capture the Troupe. His hatred for the Troupe is so strong, that he would react in seething rage even when he gazes upon a fake member of the Troupe. At first Kurapika claims he wanted to arrest them, but over time after his first confrontation with them in Yorknew City, after learning of their lack of remorse and what they did with the Scarlet Eyes of his clans, his hatred and desire for vengeance grew stronger.

His hatred for the Troupe has left him shortsighted, even when his world was being invaded by the Cult of the End, despite knowing the serious danger of the situation instead of taking the fight with them with his friends, Kurapika declined. Stating that he would feel if he were to hunt down the cult, he would be sidetracked from going after them and wanted to focus on finding the Troupe. However, upon discovering the Troupe have allied with the cult he reconsidered his offer and joined with his friends to face them.

Powers and Abilities

Being Light Nostrade's right-hand man, he had power over the clan and is now the boss of Light's new organization. Kurapika's powers increase greatly as the series progresses. Hisoka Morow was the first to grow interested in him, listing him as one of the "green fruit" with vast potential. Although at the beginning he was weaker than Killua, during the Yorknew City arc he had become stronger than him due to his Nen abilities. He is one of the few characters (the others being Hisoka and Silva Zoldyck) to have killed a member of the infamous Phantom Troupe, and a very potent one. His exceptional intelligence is matched by high combat prowess and iron will that stems from his desire for revenge. He is also very versatile as he has been seen wielding different weapons. In his showdown with Uvogin, he used his chains when afar and at close quarter combat.

Scarlet Eyes: When a member of the Kurta Clan becomes enraged, their eyes turn a vivid shade of red, which triggers an amazing increase in physical strength. In this state, even as a child, Kurapika could gain the upper hand in terms of speed and strength against three adults and easily overpowered them. However, Kurapika admitted that when his eyes turn scarlet, he loses all restraint and rationality and becomes primal, which also occurs whenever he sees a spider. Furthermore, overusing his Scarlet Eyes can have severe repercussions on his health, as doing so caused him to become incapacitated and feverish for more than one day without Melody's Nen ability managing to lower his body temperature.

Physical Abilities

Advanced Hearing: Kurapika has a keener sense of hearing than average humans, which enables him to perceive revelatory sounds and overhear conversations others would miss.

Preternatural Perception: Even prior to learning Nen, he was one of the few candidates of the Hunter Exam to notice being followed by a proctor during the Third Phase. His first meeting with Izunavi demonstrated that he has a developed instinct, as he dodged an acorn imbued with Nen without knowing anything of inner energy, but understanding in a moment it would have been lethal for him to be hit.

Enhanced Strength: After training at Zebro's house, Kurapika managed to open the first door of the Testing Gate, whose total weight is 4 tons. His strength increases when his eyes turn scarlet. With Nen, his blows become more destructive, to the point he can not only inflict pain to Uvogin despite the latter's body being impervious to bullets, but also inflict damage on him.

Enhanced Speed & Reflexes: Kurapika struck Uvogin various times before he could react and even disappeared out of sight in a space clear of hideouts with a leap. He can catch bullets with one of his chains and restrain a target with another in 0.5 seconds from a fair distance, and in approximately 0.2 or 0.3 from only a few meters.

Enhanced Agility: Kurapika can jump several meters in the air and hit his opponents from various angles with acrobatic moves without losing his balance. This is first proven when he leaps on top of a chandelier during the exam to be hired by Light Nostrade and later in the confrontation against Uvogin.

Enhanced Endurance: Possibly due to the loathing he harbors toward the Phantom Troupe and the absolute determination to win the fight, Kurapika seemed almost unfazed by Uvogin breaking his arm.

Genius-Level Intellect: Kurapika is one of the most brilliant characters in the Hunter x Hunter series. Because of this, he was appointed leader of Neon's bodyguards after the demise of Dalzollene. He outsmarted minds of Chrollo's level with carefully planned strategies, and his predictions have rarely turned out to be wrong. He also has an immense deal of knowledge about many topics, ranging from psychology to other cultures, from history to forensic, a quality that surprised his brethren when he was only a child. Due to his longing for new notions, he is a fast learner with an impressive memory.

Master Strategist: Kurapika can formulate flawless plans even in combat to exploit his opponent's weaknesses to the fullest. His intuition is matched by his logical thinking and meticulous preparations. Although he can retain his cool in desperate situations, he can barely stick to his own plan when it concerns the Phantom Troupe, to the extent he might even snap and endanger not only himself, but his friends as well.

Proficient Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Kurapika was able to land several punches and kicks on a fighter specialized in unarmed combat such as Uvogin with almost no damage on his part.

Master Weapon Specialist: With the full extent of his abilities in the field being unclear, Kurapika used a pair of bokken swords linked by a thread before learning Nen and could wield them also as a nunchaku. In the 1999 anime, it was revealed the bokken swords were actually two sheathed blades. He displayed the ability to use them skillfully against Hisoka. When he worked as Neon's bodyguard, he carried a knife with him, although he used it solely for intimidation. However, the weapon Kurapika specializes in currently are his chains, which he learned to use in battle with great skill in a rather short amount of time. He can move them with such mastery that they act as natural extensions of his limbs, being even able to entangle targets at a distance of almost 30 meters in less than a second. The chains are suited for both offensive and defensive purposes (usually the Dowsing Chain), as well as immobilizing the opponent (Chain Jail).

Nen

Kurapika is a Conjurer, a Nen user that can create objects out of thin air according to his imagination, but he becomes a Specialist when his eyes turn scarlet. He learned Nen in a very short time and is deemed a very skilled user. In terms of theoretical knowledge, he can divide Nen apprentices by aptitude, and is an expert in the mechanics of Limitations and Manipulation Nen. Kurapika has Nen abilities that incorporate elements of Emission, Manipulation, and Enhancement; in addition, he has exhibited proficiency in Transmutation, proving himself a well-rounded Nen user and one of the very few who can access all six Nen categories. The weapon that he conjures is a unique one—five chains that extend from each finger on his right hand. Some of the fingers were specially designed to deal vengeance on the Phantom Troupe. To increase the effectiveness of his chains against them, Kurapika placed strict Limitations on the usage of his chains. Since the chains are materialized, their size and length can be controlled to a certain degree. He is able to conceal his chain through In in order to bind his opponent without their knowledge until it is too late. Kurapika is also proficient in other branches on Nen, such as Shu, which, combined with Emperor Time, gives his chains the ability to shatter rock, and Gyo. He has reached a level of skill high enough that he can remain in a state of Ten without conscious thought.

By using a Limitation that puts his own life at stake, his abilities received a great boost. In fact, one of his chains is so strong that Uvogin, an experienced fighter, assumed that it was a real chain that Kurapika was manipulating. The combination of his Limitation, the increase in skill granted by his Specialization ability, and the aura boost granted by his Scarlet Eyes allowed him to reduce the gap in strength against a master Enhancer such as Uvogin. Repeated usage of his Scarlet Eyes combined with Nen takes a heavy toll on his mind and body, causing him an incapacitating high fever that, after the death of Pakunoda, lasted several days and could not be relieved by Melody's flute.

• Dowsing Chain: Shaped like a ball and chain, Kurapika uses this frequently under normal situations, for defensive and offensive purposes. It has a small ball-like weight at the end which moves in the direction of whatever he is dowsing for. It is also useful to investigative activities, like determining the location of missing individuals, and identifying if someone is lying. If this ability is used on a group, it works better if the persons questioned reply one at a time. In ordinary conditions, Kurapika needs to be directly in front of the target for the lie detection to be effective; however, when Emperor Time is active, it becomes possible for him to use that ability also through video recordings, provided he has met the subject before. Kurapika himself is unaware of how this side of his power works. His guess is that, through the conveyance of the chain and extreme focus, he can unconsciously detect subtle indications that someone is lying.
• Chain Jail: Shaped like a hook, this very durable chain is designed to envelop and restrain Spiders. It forces its prisoners into a state of Zetsu, shutting off their aura and preventing the use of Nen abilities. Consequently, it is only possible to escape from it through brute force, although not even Uvogin, the physically strongest Spider, could break free from it. Kurapika can fully restrain a distant target in half a second. To create this chain, Kurapika imposed a Limitation that allows him to use it only against members of the Phantom Troupe, with the added stipulation that violating this condition will result in his death.
• Emperor Time: When Kurapika's eyes shift into scarlet, he changes from a Conjurer to a Specialist. This ability allows him to utilize all the types of Nen to 100% efficiency (for a Conjurer). Kurapika explains this using the terms "Level", "Force", and "Accuracy": his "Levels" in the various Nen categories remain the same during Emperor Time, but his "Force" and "Accuracy" for every category are raised to 100%. Thus, if Kurapika's "Level" in Conjuration was 10, his "Level" in Emission (the polar opposite aura type) would remain 4 at the most, but his "Force" and "Accuracy" in any Emission ability would increase from 40% to 100%, making him evenly matched against a Level 4 Emitter. However, the price to pay is considerable, as every second spent in this mode shortens Kurapika's lifespan by one hour.
• Holy Chain: Shaped like a cross, it cures wounds by drawing from Enhancement abilities. When Kurapika is in his Specialist state, it can heal serious injuries, such as a fractured arm, within seconds.
• Judgement Chain: ​The Stake of Retribution, a blade on the end of this chain, enters the victim's body and wraps around their heart. Kurapika gives the victim an order, which, if violated, results in the Stake of Retribution piercing the victim's heart, killing them. Kurapika himself has a blade wrapped around his heart, which he used to set the Limitations for the use of Chain Jail ability. He is capable of issuing a minimum of two commands per Stake of Retribution, and he can dispel it at will. He is confident that he would be alerted if a Spider removed it. Due to Kurapika's low affinity for and mastery over Emission and Manipulation, Judgment Chain can only be used in conjunction with Emperor Time.

Trivia

• Kurapika's Japanese VA is Miyuki Sawashiro who also voices Shizuku in Naruto, Ultear Milkovich, Virgo the Maiden and Ur in Fairy Tail and Charlotte Pudding in One Piece.
• Kurapika 's English VA is Erika Harlacher.
• Kurapika shares the same birthday with Shirahoshi, Foxy, Jinta Hanakari, Tomura Shigaraki and Tonbo Tobitake.